Bed-leg.



L. L. SCHELLINGER.

BED LEG.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6.1917- Patented May 7, 1918.

INVENTOR 122" Z. SC/fZl/I w/r/vssm ,4 TTORNEYS LEE L. SCHELLINGER, 0FMOGRAW, NEW YORK.

BED-LEG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May '7, 1918.

Application filed February 6, 1917. Serial No. 146,879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEE L. SCHELLINGER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of McGraw, in the county of Cortland and State of NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bed-Legs, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to legs for beds and otherarticles of furniture, and more particularly to a tubular leg of thischaracter having means whereby its length may be controlled inorder tovary the distance between the surface supported thereby and thesupporting surface on which the leg rests, whereby the surface supportedby the leg, or more particularly by a plurality of such legs, may beleveled at any time, in order to compensate for inequalities in thesupporting surface itself.

Certain other objects, residing as they do in the particular details ofconstruction as proposed by my invention, will be readily apparent fromthe following description of the several parts thereof, reference beingmade to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, andwherein Figure 1 is a side elevation partly broken away and in sectionof the lower portion of a supporting leg as proposed by my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken therethrough in adirection at right angles with respect to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken substantially on line3-3 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 4.- is a sectional view illustrating a slightly modified form;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the slightly modified form;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section illustrating a slightly modified form, and

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section illustrating another slightly modifiedform.

Referring now to these figures, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 3inclusive, my invention contemplates the provision of a telescopingextension piece 10 within a hollow bed or other leg 11, said extensionpiece 10 carrying the usual caster 12 at its lower end, which projectexternally through the lower open end of the leg 11, and being alsoprovided with a vertical longitudinal rack 13 in a plane parallel withthe plane of its axis, and extending for the major portion of itslength, the upper inner end of the extension 10 preferably having awasher 14 of a relatively soft material, and an oil cup 15 open at itsbase onto the washer 14, to feed oil to the latter. l

The tubular leg 11 is, in accordance with my invention, providedadjacent its lower end, with a pair of parallel laterally projecting andspaced lugs 16, having alined openings forming bearings for a horizontalshaft 17 the latter of which is provided at ceive one end of the squaredportion 19 of the shaft, in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, inorder to lock shaft 17 against rotation.

The tubular leg 11 is also provided with.

a vertically slotted opening 22, through which the gear wheel 20partially extends to engage the vertical rack 13 of the extension orpost 10, whereby upon longitudinal move-. ment of the shaft 17 in itsbearing lugs 16 to withdraw the engaged end of its squared portion 19,said shaft may be rotated by grasping the milled head 18, to rotate thegear 20 and in turn adjust the extension or post 10 inwardly oroutwardly with respect to the tubular leg, dependent upon the directionof such rotation.

It is obvious that, upon rotationof the shaft 17 to adjust the extensionor post inwardly of the tubular leg, the surface supported by the latterwill be lowered, and that, when the shaft is rotated in the oppositedirection, to adjust the extension of post 10 outwardly with respect tothe tubular leg, the surface supported by the latter will becorrespondingly elevated.

The reduced end 21 of the shaft 17 is further provided with a transverseopening adjacent its extremity, receiving the intermediate portion of abow spring 23, the ends of the latter of which engage a washer 24disposed against the outer surface of the adj acent bearing lug 16, soas to thus enable spring 23 to normally hold the shaft in lockedposition, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3.

It is not necessary that the post or extension 10 shall preciselyinterfit the tubularleg 11, inasmuch as by the use of a filler ring 25,secured to the internal surface ofthe lower end of the tubular leg 26,as seen in Fig. i, an extension or post 27 may be utilized in connectionwith a tubular leg of considerably greater diameter.

Furthermore, instead of constructing the extension or post solid, asseen in Fig. 2, it may be hollow, as indicated at 28 in Fig. 5 whereinthe vertical rack 29 is formed in connection with a longitudinalindented portion 30 thereof.

As seen in Fig. 6, the actuating shaft with its milled head as beforedescribed, may be mounted in connection with a leg 31 of comparativelythin material, through the cars 32 of a supporting band 33 disposedaround the said leg and secured thereto by set screws 3%.

As seen in Fig. 7, the leg 35 and its.ex tension or post 36 may besquare, or other wise than cylindrical, and as seen in several of thefigures, the post or extension may, in each case, be proviced withgraduations 87 vertically thereon, so that elevation. of a bed, forinstance, to a higher plane may be quickly accomplished and its formerlevel maintained.

It is thus apparent that my invention provides exceedingly simple,inexpensive means for the purpose described, which will at the same timebe durable, efficient, and effective for the intended purposes, andparticularly useful in connection with hospital beds for adjusting aswell as leveling the same.

I claim:

1. In combination with a tubular leg having a lower open end, and a sideopening ad acent the said lower end, a post orleg extension adjustablewithin the said tubular leg having a caster at its lower end providedwith a vertical rack, a pair of spaced laterally projecting lugs carriedby the tubular leg at opposite sides of its opening, a shaft journaledthrough the said lugs having a milled head at one end and a reducedextension at its opposite end, a gear wheel having a squared opening andprojecting partially through the opening of the leg and into engagementwith the rack of the said extension, said shaft having an inter mediatesquared portion extending through and interfitting the squared openingof the gear wheel, and one of said lugs having a squared bore in itsinner face into and out of which one end of the said squared portion ofthe shaft is shiftable by longitudinal movement of the latter withrespect to the gear Wheel and the said lugs. v

2. In combination with a tubular leg havinga lower open end, and a sideopening adjacent the lower end, a post or leg extension adjustablewithin the said tubular leg having a caster at its lower end providedwith a vertical rack, a pair of spaced laterally projecting lugs carriedby the tubular leg at opposite sides of its opening, a shaft journaledthrough the said lugs having a milled head at one end and a reducedextension at its opposite end, a gear wheel having a squared opening andprojecting partially through the opening of the leg and into engagementwith the rackof the said extension, said shaft having an intermediatesquared portion extending through and 'interfitting the squared openingof the gear wheel, and one of said lugs having a squared bore in itsinner face into and out of which one end of the said squared portion ofthe shaft is shiftable by longitudinal movement of the latter withrespect to the gear wheel and the said lugs, and a spring normallyresisting longitudinal movement of the shaft and adapted to retain thesame in locked position.

3. In combination with a tubular leg having a lower open end and a sideopening adjacent the said lower end, a post or leg extension adjustablewithin the said tubular leg having a caster at its lower end rovidedwith a vertical rack, a pair of spaced laterally projecting lugs carriedby the tubular leg at opposite sides of its opening, a shaft journaledthrouglrthe said lugs having a milled head at one end and a reducedextension at its opposite end, a gear wheel carried and rotated by saidshaft and projecting through the leg opening and into engagement withthe rack of the post or extension, said shaft being shiftablelongitudinally with respect to its gear wheel and the said lugs,relatively engaging means carried by the shaft and one of the lugs, andengag'eable and releasable by relative longi tudinal movement of theshaft, whereby to normally lock the lattenand a spring ongaging theshaft to normally hold the latterin locked position. v

4. A tubular supporting member of the character described having a sideopening and supports adjacent to said side opening, an extension or postmember through its lower end and adjustable with respect thereto, saidextension or post having a longitudinal rack, a rotatable andlongitudinally movable shaft j'ournaled through saidsupports and havinga handle, a gear carried by theshaft and projecting through the sideopening of said support ing member into engagement with said rack, andrelatively engaging means carried by said shaft and one of said supportsand movable, upon longitudinal movement of the shaft, 'into and out ofei'igaged position, to normally look the shaft against rotation.

. LEE L. SCHELLIN projecting into said fiepiei' at this patent may heobtained for five cents each, by ad'dressizig the Commie sinner efPatez'itiz,

washingtom-Dw.

